Dispensing device for paper napkins



Feb. 22, 1938.

DISPENSING DEVI'CE FOR PAPER NAIPKINQS Original Filed Jan. 9, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l AJETIEHW.

If? IN VEN TOR,

A TTORNEYS.

E. c.- MORRIS 2,108,825

Feb. 22, 1938. E, c. MORRIS l 2,108,825

, 1 1s1=s-sme DEVICE FOR PAPER NAPKINS ori inal Filed Jan. 9, was 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Z7777 C War/1'6 I Feb. 22, 1938. E. c. MORRIS 2,108,825

' DISPENSING DEVICE FOR PAPER NAPKINS Original Filed Jan. 9 .1933 3 Sheets-Sheet'3 IN V EN TOR.

A TORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 22, 1938 U N 1 TE D S'l E T ()FFI E Application January 9, 1933, Serial No. 650,924 Renewed May 13, 1937 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensers for paper napkins, such as are used in lunch rooms, cafeterias and other public eating places. The purpose of these dispensers is to provide a convenient means for presenting the napkins to the customer so that he can withdraw but one at a time, thereby preventing Waste of the napkins. In their general structure these dispensers include a metallic'container in which the napkins are stacked to be successively fed by a follower to a dispensing position before an opening in a side of the container. The napkins are folded to provide a tab on one or both faces and they are stacked in the container so that the tab on the front face of the foremost napkin registers with the dispensing opening to be grasped by the customer. Napkin dispensers of this general character are disclosed in my previous patents numbered respectively 1,684,877 and 1,728,694. This application is a continuation in part of my earlier application, filed June 7, 1924, Serial Number 718,419, still pending.

Napkin dispensers of the kind under consideration are subjected to rough treatment and are injured thereby. One of the objects of the instant invention is to improve the structure of the container so that it will withstand rough usage.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the construction of the container and operative parts to lessen the cost of production. A further object of the invention is to utilize the container structure to provide means for holding display cards on the sides of the container so that the cards can be replaced by different cards.

The means employed for carrying out the foregoing objects are described in detail hereinafter, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, on which siming parts,

Figure l is a perspective view of a napkin dispenser embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a similar view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section, at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a plan view.

Figure 7 is a side elevation, showing the blank wall and the rib for holding a display card against the wall.

ilar reference characters designate correspond- Figures 8 and 9 are detail perspective views, respectively, showing the two U-shaped members for forming the container.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the bottom of the container.

Referring to the drawings in detail the container comprises two U-shaped members A and B, respectively, the member A being inverted as to the U-shape and the member B being normal as to the U-shape. The inverted member A com- 10 prises the opposite legs ID and the connecting arch ll; the normal member B comprises the opposite legs I2 and the connecting arch I3. These two members are fitted together with the legs Iii of the member A interposed between the legs l2 of the member B at the vertical edges of the legs, thereby forming the four sides of a container, which is rectangular in horizontal crosssection. The arch ll of the member A forms the top of the container, which is shaped toform the fiat top l4 and the sloping sides I5. The arch it of the member B is flat and forms the bottom of the container. The upper ends of the legs l2 fit into the arch II.

Extending along the under side of the archll of the member A and welded thereto are the strips 5 6, with flanges ll at their ends welded to the upper ends of the legs l2 of the member B, thereby firmly uniting the upper parts of the container. The lower parts of the legs In (Fig. 5) of the member A are bent inwardly to form horizontal flanges i8 abutting and welded to the base E3. The end parts of the legs, as at l9, are inclined upwardly to provide strengthening braces extending across the lower part of the container between the walls formed by the legs i2 of the part B. The extremities of the legs, as 28, are flared outwardly to provide guides for the lower ends of the napkin placed in the container. Secured to the under side of the bottom l3 of the container, at the four corners thereof, are the elastic cushions 2!, in each of which is embedded the head of a screw 22 passing through the bottom and the adjacent part l8 of the leg H].

A nut 23 turned on the upper end of the screw against the part I8 holds the cushion firmly in place and also serves to clamp the part 18 to the container bottom.

Extending across the lower part of the container between the legs in of the U-shaped memher A is a plate 25 (Figs. 2-3), secured to the legs by the flanges 26 welded thereto. The lower part of the plate extends downward into slots 21 formed in the fianger parts Ill-20 of the legs "I. The plate 25 secured between the legs [0 and -ward the front walls I2.

seated in the parts l920, serves to hold the legs in spaced relation and braces them against compression applied externally to the container. At the lower edge of the plate are the spurs 52 extending through the bottom l3 to hold the plate in place. The plate 25 divides the con tainer in two compartments, the fronts of which are formed by the legs [2 of the U-shaped member B. In each of the fronts is a dispensing opening 28, surrounded by a marginal flange 29, the inner edge of which is rolled outward, as at 30, to provide an easy egress of the napkins from the container.

In each of the compartments of' the container is a follower 3 I, normally pressed toward the dispensing opening 28 by a spring arm 32. The spring arms of the two followers are formed by a single strip of spring metal clamped at an intermediate part, as at 33, between the lower edge of plate 25 and the bottom I3 of the container. The arms extend upward into the compartments and are attached at their free ends to the backs of the followers as at 34. The surface area of each follower is slightly larger than the area of the opposite dispensing opening 28.

The U-shaped member B, at the vertical edges of the legs l2 and the horizontal edges of the bottom part I3, is rolled over the adjacent edges of the member A to form rounded ribs extending over the vertical and lower edges of the legs l0. These ribs stiffen the sides of the container and also provide a panel eifect. The inner edges of these ribs 35 are slightly spaced from the sides of the container, thereby forming a groove 36 extending around the vertical and bottom edges of each side, forming a pocket open at the upper end, as at 31, into which a display card may be slid. Thesloping parts ii of the crown of the container facilitate the insertion of the cards into the grooves. These cards may display menus or advertising matter.

In the operation of the dispenser, a stack of napkins C is thrust through each of the dispensing openings 28 into the corresponding compartments against the followers 3!, compressing the springs 32, which tend to press the stacks to- As indicated in the drawings, the napkins are folded to provide upper and lower pointed ends. The lower ends of the napkins rest on the guides 20 and their super ficial area is slightly greater than the area of the dispensing opening 28 so that their margins are clamped with slight pressure between the follower and the marginal flange 29 of the front plate. The front face of each napkin has a loose tab that registers with the dispensing opening 28 to be-easily grasped and withdrawn by the customer. While the napkin illustrated is folded in a special manner, yet it is obvious that the dispenser can be used to dispense napkins otherwise folded.

The formation of the container of the two U-shaped members is an important advantage, as these members can be stamped out of sheet metal of uniform thickness and the parts can be quickly assembled and united. By bracing the parts as indicated, a sturdy container is provided that withstands rough usage. Also, the stamping method employed in shaping themajor parts cheapens the cost of production.

The provision of means for holding display cards is also important as the container can be utilized for advertising purposes. The construction indicated permits the inclusion of this feature Without increasing the cost of production to an appreciable extent.

What I claim is:

1. In a dispensing device for paper napkins, a container comprising. two U-shaped members, with one of said members inverted and placed over the normal member to interspace the legs 20 of said members to constitute the vertical side walls of the container, with the arch of the in verted member forming the top of the container and the arch of the normal member forming the bottom of the container, means securing the upper ends of the legs of the normal member in the arch of the inverted member, the legs of the inverted member having inwardly projecting flanges secured on thebottom of the container,

the legs of said normal member having opposite apertures forming dispensing openings in opposite walls of the container with the openings spaced above the bottom of the container, opposite guides flared inwardly and upwardly from said flanges and extending between the container 35 walls having the dispensing openings, and follower means mounted in the container and normally operating to move the napkins along the guides toward the dispensing openings.

2. In a dispensing device forpaper napkins iO the combination of a container comprising two U-shaped members secured together one within the other in reversed. position with respect to each other with the legs of one member interspaced with the legs of the other member to con- .45 .stitute the vertical side walls of the container,

the arch of one of the members forming the top of the container and the arch of the other member forming the bottom of the container the upwardly extending legs of one of the members having opposite apertures forming dispensing openingsin the'side walls of the container and the downwardly extending legs of the other member contacting with the bottom of the container and being bent thence upwardly and inwardly to 555 

